"The Honourable Schoolboy" by John le Carré - BBC Radio adaptation -Suspense, Cold War espionage скачать в хорошем качестве

"The Honourable Schoolboy" by John le Carré - BBC Radio adaptation -Suspense, Cold War espionage

Classic Old Time Radio, Vintage radio shows, the Golden Age of radio, murder, mystery, drama, comedy, sci-fi, westerns, audiobooks, BBC plays, adaptations, and dramas. The BBC Radio adaptation of John le Carré's "The Honourable Schoolboy" continues the story of George Smiley and the British Secret Intelligence Service ("The Circus") in the wake of the devastating betrayal by the Soviet mole, Bill Haydon, exposed in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." With the Circus in disarray, its reputation shattered, and under immense pressure from the government and its American counterparts ("the Cousins"), "George Smiley" is now the acting chief. His primary mission is to "rebuild the shattered organization and, crucially, to strike a blow against his nemesis, Karla", the mastermind of Moscow Centre who orchestrated Haydon's infiltration. Smiley and his trusted inner circle, including Connie Sachs, meticulously pore over old files, looking for suppressed investigations or overlooked clues that might lead them to Karla's network. They uncover a suspicious trail of money, a "gold seam," flowing from Soviet sources into a highly secret Hong Kong bank account, seemingly linked to a powerful Chinese businessman named "Drake Ko". To investigate this complex financial web in the Far East, Smiley dispatches "Jerry Westerby", a veteran journalist and occasional, reluctant operative for the Circus. Westerby, the "Honourable Schoolboy" of the title, is a romantic and somewhat disaffected figure, navigating the murky waters of post-colonial Southeast Asia – Hong Kong, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam – which are rife with corruption, political intrigue, and the lingering scars of war. Westerby's mission is to "shake the tree" and see what intelligence falls out. He delves into Drake Ko's world, encountering his enigmatic English mistress, Lizzie Worthington, and other shadowy figures. As Westerby uncovers layer after layer of deceit, he begins to realize that Drake Ko is attempting to smuggle his highly-placed brother, "Nelson Ko" (a Chinese official with valuable intelligence on both Chinese and Soviet operations), out of mainland China to defect. This potential defection represents a massive intelligence coup for whichever side secures him. The story becomes a tense, globe-trotting game of wits, with Smiley orchestrating from London, Westerby on the ground facing increasing danger, and the CIA ("the Cousins") keenly interested in seizing the prize. The "honourable" in the title becomes increasingly ironic as Westerby, a man of surprising integrity in a morally compromised world, finds his loyalties tested to their limits, leading to a poignant and ultimately tragic climax. The BBC Radio adaptation captures the novel's intricate plotting, its deep character studies, and its evocative depiction of a cynical, exhausted espionage world grappling with the consequences of its past and the shifting global landscape.